Multipurpose tent-cloth



May l5 1956 F. scHAr-:FER

MULTIPURPOSE TENT-CLOTH Filed June 28, 1952 INVENTOR Fig/VZ M45/f5?,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent O MULTIPURPOSE TENT-CLOTH Franz Schaefer, Melsungen, Germany Application June 28, 1952, Serial No. 296,191 Claims priority, application Germany October 30, 1951 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-89) This invention relates to tent-cloths, and more particularly to multi-purpose tent-cloths which may be used either for the erecting of tents or as a protective covering for use in bad weather.

Hitherto customary multi-purpose tent-cloths of this type are provided with a slot, approximately in the center of the piece of material, for pulling same over the head of a person who wishes to use the tent-cloth as a protective covering.

When such a customary multi-purpose tent-cloth is used in the setting up of a tent, the slot is covered more or less by aps of fabric or the like attached to the tent cloth by buttons. However, these flaps cannot eliminate entirely the entering of rain through the slot into the interior of the tent, mainly for the reason that the slot must be of ample width so as to permit the passage of the head of a wearer, so that at both ends of the slot triangular openings remain uncovered through which the rain may enter the vinterior of a tent. On the other hand, when such a customary multi-purpose tent-cloth is used as a protective covering, the reinforced edges of the slot and/ or the flaps of the tent-cloth, especially in wet condition, cause a chang of the neck of the wearer, inasmuch as a slot pulled apart in the center has the tendency to close itself with the result of a tight contact between its edges and the neck of the wearer.

An object ofthe present invention is to provide a mul-tipurpose tent-cloth which overcomes these disadvantages of the hitherto customary tent-cloths.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purpose tent-cloth which may be worn around the neck of the wearer without covering the head or which may be pulled over the head, or even pulled over a head-covering, so as to protect same.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a multi-purpose tent-cloth Which, if not in use, may be readily worn on a belt, in folded condition.

Other objects and structural details of the invention will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a multi-purpose tent-cloth according to the invention,

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the multi-purpose tent-cloth according to the invention in two diferent partly folded conditions during a folding of the tent-cloth.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the multipurpose tent-cloth according to the invention with closed collar when prepared for use in the erecting of a tent,

Fig. 5 illustrates the wearing of a tent-cloth according to the invention around the neck of a person without covering the head,

Fig. 6 illustrates the wearing of a tent-cloth according to the invention around the neck of a person, a portion of the collar attached to the tent-cloth being pulled over the head of the person for protecting same,

Fig. 7 illustrates the Wearing of a tent-cloth according to the invention around the neck of a person, a portion ice of the collar attached to the tent-cloth being pulled over the head and a head covering of the person for protecting same, and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the tent-cloth in folded condition ready for suspension from a belt or the like.

Referring now to Figs. l-4, 10 generally indicates a tent-cloth of customary rather coarse canvas having a circular or approximately circular opening 12 at a suitablev place. A hose-like collar 14 is attached to the edge of said opening, by sewing for example. In contrast to the coarse canvas, the collar 14 is made of a soft and yielding material.l The material of the collar 14 is waterrepellant. At or near the upper free end of said collar 14 a pocket or hem 16 or lthe like in which is enclosed a string or band 13 is arranged so as to form tieing means.

Preferably, pieces 20 and 22 for protecting the shoulders of a wearer are attached to the tent-cloth, one on each side of the collar 14. According to the embodiment shown in the drawing, only one edge of each of the shoulder pieces 20, 22 is attached to the tent-cloth 10, by sewingfor example. lf desired, however, the shoulder pieces 20, 22 could be attached to the tent-cloth at their entire outline.

According to Figs. 3 and 4, the shoulder piece 22 is provided with a series of buttons -24 and the shoulder A piece 2l) has a series of corresponding button holes 26.

Furthermore a pair of loops 28 arranged below the shoulder piece 26 are attached to the tent-cloth 1).

When the multi-purpose tent-cloth 10 shall be used for the setting up of a tent, the upper end of the collarv 14 is tightly gathered by the string or band 18 as shown in Fig. 2. Thus, rain cannot enter into the interior ofl a tent through the opening 12 of the multi-purpose tentcloth 10 according to the invention.

When the multi-purpose tent-cloth 10 shall be used as a protective covering, at rst the tieing means 18 is loosened for opening the upper end of the collar 14.

The multi-purpose tent-cloth may be worn in different ways around the neck of a person, after the collar 14 has been passed over the head of the person.

According to Fig. 5, the collar 14 is merely closed around the neck by pulling the string or band 1S and tieing the two ends thereof together. The head is not covered by any part of the tent-cloth 10.

According to Fig. 6, the collar 14 is shaped and cut in such a way that the upper rear portion of the collar 14 may be pulled over the rear portion of the head and the collar 14 may be closed around the face by pulling the string or band 18 and tieing the two ends thereof together. Thus, a substantial portion of the head of the wearer is protected by a portion of the collar 14.

According to Fig. 7, the upper rear portion of the collar 14 is pulled over the rear portion of the head and a cap put on the head. The collar 14 is closed around the face by the tieing means 18. Thus, a substantial portion of the head of the person and of the cap worn by the person is protected by a portion of the collar 14.

The tent-cloth may be folded in the following manner:

As shown in Fig. 3, at rst the tent-cloth 10 is folded along the line a; then, the thus folded tent-cloth is folded again along the lines b, c, d, whereby the partially folded tent cloth 10 as shown in Fig. 4 is obtained, the shoulder pieces 20 and 22 now projecting on each side of the partially folded tent cloth 10'.

Thereafter, the partially folded tent cloth 19 is againfolded along the lines e, g, h, i (see Fig. 4). lThen the shoulder pieces 20, 22 may be folded inwardly and may be connected with each other by the buttons 24, so that the completely folded tent-cloth 10 assumes the shape of a bag as shown in Fig. 8. Now, the completely folded tent-cloth 10 may be suspended from a belt of the wearer r tion, but it is understood that this disclosure is for the purpose of illustration kand that various omissions or changes in shape, proportion and arrangement of parts, as well as the substitution of equivalent elements for those herein shown and described, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

For example, the upper end of the collar 14 could be closed by means other than the tieing means shown in the drawings.

Likewise, a different kind of connecting means could be used for connecting the free ends of the shoulder pieces 20, 22 with each other.

WhatIclaim is:

1. A multiple-purpose tent cloth adapted to be used as a tent and as a protective outer garment, comprising a body of tenting fabric adapted to cover the body of a human being, said body having a central opening therein to receive the head of the wearer, means to close said opening, shoulder protecting flaps on either side of the 4 opening having spaced edges, the edges nearest the opening being secured to the fabric body adjacent the head opening, the edges remote from the opening being free and being spaced inwardly from the outer edge of the fabric body, the fabric body being adapted to be folded between the flaps, the free edges 0f the flaps remote from the opening having cooperating fastening means thereon,

. said aps being of such length that they are able to meet around said folded body and to be fastened to one another so as to hold the fabric body in a package.

2. A tent cloth as claimed in 1 having loops fastened thereto adjacent the end of one of said flaps nearest the opening.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,215,139 Gail Feb. 6, 1917 1,272,942 Goldstein July 16, 1918 FOREIGN PATENTS 402,953 Germany Sept. 22, 1924 

